Member Avatar for moe83

I work at a hotel and my boss wants to create a network. I have a existing simple network, but what I would like to do is whenever a client connects there computer to the network, there web browser is redirect to a specific website. After that they can do what ever they would like to do. I can always change the router out with something else, but i just dont know what would do that. If there is any ideas please reply, thanks.

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This is the classic captive-portal / splash‑page requirement asked by : when a guest first connects, present a landing page and then allow normal access. There are three practical approaches: 1) run captive‑portal software on a dedicated gateway, 2) install third‑party firmware on a compatible consumer router, or 3) buy APs/gateways with built‑in guest portals. is correct that a dedicated gateway gives the most control, and was pointing toward the well‑known firmware route (DD‑WRT/OpenWrt).

For examples and further reading, consider a gateway appliance with captive portal support such as pfSense, consumer firmware like DD‑WRT or OpenWrt for supported routers, or hotspot software like CoovaChilli if you want a Linux-based solution. The basic workflow: pick hardware, enable the captive portal feature, host your splash HTML, configure firewall/NAT rules to block general outbound traffic until the portal is accepted, and whitelist common OS portal‑check endpoints so phones/tablets open the page automatically.

Practical cautions and troubleshooting: do not attempt transparent HTTPS interception (it triggers certificate errors). If users do not see the page, test with multiple devices, clear browser/cache, examine DNS and firewall rules, and capture traffic with packet tools to verify DNS/HTTP redirection. For a hotel, consider business-grade APs (MikroTik/UniFi) if you need vouchers, payment integration, or robust logging, and review privacy/legal requirements before storing guest data.

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Member Avatar for John A

I think you need special software to do that. It obviously requires the internet gateway to keep track of fresh connections, and so you'll either need a dedicated internet gateway computer that runs the software to control this, or if you have a Linksys router, a firmware hack may be available, since Linksys firmware is open source.

Member Avatar for TheNNS

There is that famous firmware hack, which I can't remeber what it's called, but it enhances your router to do a lot of things. You migh want to google it.

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